New Year, New Beginning
by Carlysxfiles
Summary: When Doggett and Reyes face spending Christmas and New Years together they must prioritise each other with their families and question who is more important to them and how much they want to fit into each others lives. Please Read And Review
1. Part 1

**New Year, New Beginning  
**Author: Carly  
E-mail:   
Rating: PG  
Category: DRR  
Summary: When Doggett and Reyes face spending Christmas and New Years together they must prioritise each other with their families and question who is more important to them and how much they want to fit into each others lives.  
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is not mine, I'm only borrowing and there's nothing wrong with that.  
**  
**  
When you find yourself at work on Boxing Day, being stood up by your partner, it's time to rethink your life.  
  
Monica was sat thinking about this as she spun around in the chair at her desk, this was  
not characteristically something that she would normally do, but her partner was uncharacteristically two hours late, she felt she was allowed to rebel. Her Christmas had been planned for weeks. She was going home for a few days, to see her parents and catch up on some family time. But the day she was due to leave Doggett had thrust a case under her nose and begged her to postpone her journey. She had reluctantly agreed, and that postponement had now run the course of four days.   
  
This meeting was for them to go over everything they had on the case so far, and so far it was not a lot. She had walked into the office hoping to talk Doggett into letting her leave the case in his hands so she could at least spend the new year with her family, now she was just hoping that he would actually show up.  
  
As a third hour came and went she gave up and went home. She was furious that Doggett  
would just leave her like that, with no explanation or reason for not being there. She began to worry that something was wrong, that he had had an accident or something, but she didn't want to make excuses for him, she was still mad. If she allowed herself to think something was wrong with him then she wouldn't be angry, and right now she wanted to be angry.  
  
In his defence, Doggett had invited Reyes to spend Christmas with him at his house, and he had in the process totally ruined Christmas dinner by burning everything he could. They had enjoyed their day together, and had visited Scully in the evening, to see how she was coping alone. But her mother was there, and they were enjoying their first Christmas with William. It was a fun evening, and Reyes had been able to forget that she was supposed to be somewhere else. But now Doggett had spoilt the perfect Christmas by not calling her.  
  
She sat in her apartment with the TV on, but she wasn't watching it at all. She wasn't  
even aware of what channel she had on. She was keeping one eye on the telephone, she knew he'd ring her, he had to ring. Two days later her hadn't rang her. He hadn't contacted her at all. And she was almost packed and ready to fly to Mexico to see her family. Scully was with her at her apartment, she was trying to stick up for Doggett but she knew just as well as Reyes that he better have a damn good explanation for disappearing like this.  
  
"Monica are you sure you should leave right now?"  
  
"Dana, I'm not waiting around for a phone call from him with some lame excuse. It's not as if we're married or anything."  
  
"I know. But this isn't like him."  
  
"Which is exactly why I'm leaving. He's doing this to get my attention, to make me worry."  
  
"And is it working?" Reyes looked at Scully and blushed. She turned away and picked up William as he sat with his toys on the floor.  
  
"You must know how I feel about him by now."  
  
"I do, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"It's ok. I just, I don't know where I am with him anymore. We aren't getting any closer, we've just stopped and fallen into a routine that I'm getting sick and tired of."   
  
"I know what you mean. The exact same thing happened with Mulder and I. We stopped progressing towards anything with our lives and just kept taking two steps forward and three steps back."  
  
"And how did you get past it?"  
  
"I don't know that we did. Look where it got us. But I know that I love him, and I know that he loves me. What more do I need?"  
  
"That's sweet, I'm happy for you, that you can feel that way without him here beside you."  
  
"Well it beats the alternative."  
  
"Which is what?"  
  
"Sitting around crying my eyes out listening to country music all day." Reyes laughed and Scully smiled too. She stood up and Reyes handed William to her.  
  
"In some ways I think you're luckier than me." Scully frowned at Reyes comment.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, like you said. You know that Mulder loves you even though he's not here. I have no idea how John feels and I spend every day with him." Scully smiled softly and turned to place William back with his toys.  
  
"Come on, let's finish getting you packed and I'll take you to the airport.  
  
Scully waved Reyes through the departure gate and held William so that he could see what was going on. He had grown fond of Reyes as a result of her helping Scully out from time to time. As Scully drove back to her own apartment her cell phone rang and she answered it in her usual business like tone.  
  
"Scully."  
  
"Agent Scully? It's John Doggett."  
  
"Agent Doggett? Where are you?"  
  
"I'm on my way into the bureau, I'm trying to reach Monica, do you know where she is?" Scully laughed to herself.  
  
"Yes actually."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I've just watched her get onto a plain to Mexico. She's gone to see her family."  
  
"What? You're serious?"  
  
"Yes, and, John, what did you expect? You haven't called anyone to say where you were for the past three days."  
  
"I've been working, I left messages at the bureau for Agent Reyes."  
  
"Well, I guess she never got them."  
  
"Oh man, I gotta get her back here."  
  
"Agent Doggett no. Leave her alone."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Look, can you meet me at my place in about 20 minutes? I'll explain then."   
  
Right on time for a change, Doggett knocked on Scully's door 20 minutes after their phone conversation. Scully sat him down and began to worry that she wasn't doing the right thing. Matchmaking was not something she'd done since high school. But it was either this or watch Doggett and Reyes moping around each other for the rest of their lives because neither of them would admit to how they felt. Doggett looked a little scared, worried about what was going to happen. And it was at that point that Scully realised she wasn't helping anything, she was meddling. She couldn't betray Reyes's confidence in her, and she couldn't play cupid when she had no right to do so.  
  
"John, Monica was upset that you didn't contact her..."  
  
"I left messages, hundreds of 'em..."  
  
"Just let me finish."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"She has had a lousy few days, she gave up her holidays to be with you working, and you stood her up. Just let her take a few days with her family ok?"  
  
"But this case I got, I need her here."  
  
"Why? What's so pressing?"  
  
"I'd rather not say, but I need her back. I don't know if I have her parents number at my  
place, do you have it?"  
  
"John..."  
  
"I have a key for Monica's place I could get it from there."  
  
"Agent Doggett! Will you just take a minute and listen to yourself. You're acting as if you own her. You can't go snooping around people's homes."  
  
"She's not people, she's Monica, and she wouldn't mind."  
  
"I beg to differ."  
  
"Well you don't know her like I do, now excuse me I have work to do."  
  
"You know you carry on like this and people will start to talk that you're in love with her!" Doggett stopped at the door and turned to face Scully.  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Then leave her alone. She doesn't want to hear from you."  
  
"Yeah, well we'll see about that."  
  
"John... John!" It was no use; Doggett was out the door and on his way to Reyes's apartment.

Doggett pulled up outside Reyes apartment and caught his reflection in his rear view   
mirror. What was he doing. He suddenly felt very ridiculous and foolish for the way he was behaving. Maybe the case could wait until the New Year. But could he wait until the New Year to see her? He started the engine of his car and drove to the bureau. He needed to clear his head before he decided what he was going to do next.  
  
He'd been in New York for three days, staking out a gang of youths that were terrorising  
the neighbourhood they lived in. But they had a habit of disappearing whenever anyone entered the house to bust them. No one had been able to explain it; three times the house had been busted by local police and three times they came out empty handed. He hadn't been able to explain it, and his hope was that Reyes would be able to offer some helpful advice. And all he'd done was force her into another state. The reason he hadn't wanted to tell Scully about the case was that one of the people that were causing the trouble was a relative of Doggett's.

His brother. From an early age Doggett's brother Robert, or Bobby as he was better known, had caused as much mischief as he possibly could. 12 years younger than Doggett, he had looked up to his brother until Doggett booked him for drink driving when he was a New York cop. They drifted apart from that moment on, and the only person who knows anything about it was Reyes.  
  
There was nothing else for it. He had to call her back to D.C. The telephone number was  
in a drawer in her desk.  
  
"Mr Reyes?"  
  
"Ci senior. Quienes?"  
  
"Mi nombre John Doggett, I'm looking for Monica."  
  
"Mi hija? Por que?" Doggett felt he was getting nowhere, his Spanish wasn't great and it was showing. He was about to attempt more pitiful attempts when he heard Reyes in the background.  
  
"Telefono dar mi papa." Her father mumbled something about bad Spanish and wandered off before Reyes proceeded to talk to Doggett.  
  
"John?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you guess?"  
  
"Only you could enrage my father so much with bad Spanish." Doggett laughed and felt relieved that Reyes wasn't yelling at him.  
  
"Listen Monica, I need you to..."  
  
"I'm not coming back John."  
  
"Whadaya mean?"  
  
"I mean, I've been here about 20 minutes and I'm not leaving my family to come back and help you with a case that you don't need my help on. It's nothing to do with the x-files John, you can take this one alone."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Why the hell not? You just want me there to stand beside you in New York so you're not the agent without a partner?"  
  
"It's not like that, look I'm sorry about the last few days, I left you messages at the bureau, but I guess they never got to you."  
  
"I guess not."  
  
"Monica please, I'm sorry I pissed you off. But you gotta understand how awkward this is. With Bobby and everything."  
  
"I know. And I don't want to seem un-sympathetic, you know I care, but I postponed my Christmas for you, I'm not postponing my New Year too. I'll see you in a few days."  
  
"Monica wait..."  
  
"Bye John." Reyes put the phone down and turned around to see her mother smiling at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Espanola Monica, you're in Mejico not Washington."  
  
"Perdone mama."  
  
"Tu amor Senor Doggett?" Reyes smiled and laughed at her mother's open question. She walked over to her and kissed her cheek leading them into the living room.  
  
Doggett put down the phone and sighed. He'd really blown it big time. How could he have been so stupid? He knew that Reyes had more important things in her life than his dysfunctional family. He picked up the phone and called his own mother, he was going back to New York. Alone.  
  
By the 29th December at 4:30PM Doggett was back in New York, and Reyes had been in Mexico for a day. Doggett was back staking out the house that his brother was occupying with his friends. He didn't want to bust his younger brother, but he knew he wanted to stop him, so what alternative did he have? His mother had disowned her second son. She didn't want to know Bobby, she just wanted Doggett to stop him and get him behind bars.

It hurt Doggett that his family had fallen apart, having lost his son and have his family torn to pieces, it didn't help that he had a mother and father who may as well not live together for the amount of communicating with each other they do, a brother that has fallen of the rails completely, and a sister who lived in London and called maybe every six months and visited every two years. In part the reason he had wanted Reyes by his side was because she was like family to him, he couldn't live without her as he couldn't live without his mother. And if he dug deep into his soul he would see that he was jealous of Reyes being happy with her parents when his own didn't even speak to each other.  
  
"You gotta understand son, your mother and I, we finished a long time ago."  
  
"But I don't understand, why'd you even bother staying together?"  
  
"For you kids."  
  
"We're not kids dad."  
  
"I know, but we have to set a good example, show you that marriage is forever."  
  
"Set a good example? Well it's worked for us all so far. Bobby 28 and on his way to a prison cell, Kate 38 and single in another country, and me. Divorced, and single at 40."  
  
"We did our best John."  
  
"I know. But you and mom, you tear pieces out of each other."  
  
"You think I could ever mention the word divorce to your mother?! She'd kill me before she'd divorce me, and don't you go giving her ideas." Doggett laughed and his father's smile faded from his face.  
  
"I know you kids haven't had it easy, and I know that your mother and I have made mistakes. Maybe we shouldn't have had kids at all. We certainly didn't expect Bobby. We were both 37 when your mother fell pregnant with him. Maybe that's why he turned out the way he did."  
  
"You can't blame yourself for his behaviour. He's a grown man."  
  
"We paid so much attention to you and Kate. You becoming a cop, your sister getting a great job overseas, we were so proud, and your brother barely had the grades to graduate high school."  
  
"He made his own decisions, led his own life. Don't blame yourself."  
  
"I don't. I blame your mother." They laughed again and walked into the family home as they finished talking. Doggett's mother was in the kitchen baking a cake when she yelled out to her husband about letting the cold in.  
  
"Don't you get walking in this house with snow and mud on your shoes! You leave them at the door!"  
  
"Sorry ma, too late I got mud all over the floor." His mother turned around and ran into Doggett's arms overjoyed to see him. The she pulled back and hit his arm.  
  
"What was that for?!"  
  
"For not coming to see me when you were here a few days ago. You think I like being here alone with your father all day every day?"  
  
"I'll leave you to it, I'm gonna put the TV on."  
  
"You should have married the damn thing you pay more attention to that than you do to me!"  
  
"Now there's an idea! Anybody know where it's legal to marry your TV set? I could have the thing switched off whenever I want, unlike you!"  
  
"Dad, mom, come on. It's Christmas."  
  
"Christmas was three days ago, and we didn't act any different to any other day."   
  
"Apart from when you threatened to carve me up in stead of the turkey!" Doggett frowned at his father and could feel a headache coming.  
  
"Dad, go and watch the TV, mom, si'down. We need to talk."  
  
"Is it about Bobby?"  
  
"We got any other kids that warrant the FBI getting involved in their arrest?"  
  
"Damn it dad!"  
  
"I'm goin, I'm going." His father left the room and Doggett sat down with his mother and held her hands.  
  
"John, you're the only one that can stop him. He looks up to you."  
  
"You know as well as I do that he hates me ever since I busted him all those years ago."  
  
"But he won't listen to us, and why should he, he's a grown man."  
  
"Ma, you have to understand that when we get him, he won't be coming home for a long time."  
  
"Whadaya mean?"  
  
"He's done so much more than you know about, now I gotta tell you everything, and I want you to know I'm not goin anywhere until this is all fixed ok?" His mother smiled and cupped Doggett's face in her hands.  
  
"Oh John. You can't fix this family. After all these years, you're better off leaving us to  
fizzle out without dragging you down with us. It's only a matter of time." She stood up and kissed Doggett's head before going into the living room to start another argument with her husband of 43 years.


	2. Part 2

Reyes was looking out of the window in her old bedroom when she heard her father calling her from down stairs. She went down to see someone with him. An old friend.  
  
"Marcos?"  
  
"Ci! You are mucho beautiful after all these years senorita Monica."  
  
"Espanola Marcos!"  
  
"Papa, perdone mi." Reyes walked into the kitchen and found her mother laughing at the kitchen sink.  
  
"Mama? Did you know anything about this? What is papa doing?"  
  
"Espanola Monica!"  
  
"Oh mama, please, what is Marcos doing here?"  
  
"Your father thinks you should get married."  
  
"That's great, and maybe one day I will, but why is Marcos here?"  
  
"Your father thinks you should marry Marcos."  
  
"What? That's crazy!"  
  
"Why? You love somebody else?" Reyes blushed but didn't answer her mother's question.  
  
"Then there is no problemo, you can be married to Marcos."  
  
"Do you know I haven't seen him in over ten years? He still looks exactly the same, I'm not marrying him."  
  
"Looks, that is all your generation care about, you think I married your father because of how he looks?"  
  
"I really don't want to hear this story."  
  
"Good, because I am fed up of telling you, it only goes in on ear and out the other."  
  
"Mama, please, help me get rid of him."  
  
"No! I will not, you tell him you will not marry him because he is not pretty, and you watch him cry."  
  
"Yeah, cause that's a real turn on, a grown man crying because of his looks!"  
  
"Monica Reyes!"  
  
"Don't full name me mama, I'm sorry. I'll go talk to Marcos."  
  
"Wait. You marry for love Monica, nothing but for love." Reyes smiled at her mother and walked back out to her father and Marcos, who were both standing completely oblivious to her non-existent enthusiasm at him being there.  
  
Reyes passed the afternoon with funny tales from she and Marcos growing up together,  
things that happened at school, people they dated, people they missed and didn't miss. Despite her best efforts not to, Reyes did have a good afternoon and couldn't see the harm in catching up with an old friend when that was the main purpose of her visit, to catch up with her past. When Marcos finally left, she went and helped her mother prepare dinner, her father was there too going on about how wonderful Marcos was and how perfect he was for Monica. But Reyes knew that as long as her mother said she could marry for love, her father would have no choice but to go along with it.  
  
The next day Reyes woke early to her cell phone ringing, the sun hadn't even come up and she stumbled around in the dark before finding her phone and then switching the light on.   
  
"Monica Reyes."  
  
"Monica? It's Scully."  
  
"Dana what is it?"  
  
"It's Agent Doggett."  
  
"What? Has he got you to call me to get me back to D.C.? Because if he has..."  
  
"No Monica, he um, he called me about an hour ago, it's his mother. She's had a stroke, she's in the hospital and it doesn't look like she'll come out of this."  
  
"Oh my God."  
  
"Agent Doggett asked me not to tell you, he feels bad about how you parted, and he doesn't want to ruin your New Year, but I thought you'd want to know."  
  
"Yeah, of course. I'll be on the first flight back."  
  
"Call me and I'll pick you up from the airport."  
  
"Thanks." Reyes put down her phone and quickly got dressed. She threw all of her things into her bags and scribbled a note for her parents. But as she opened the front door to quietly leave, her mother called her into the kitchen.  
  
"Mama. Why aren't you asleep?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing. I had indigestion. You?"  
  
"I'm going back to D.C. A friend needs my help."  
  
"The Doggett friend?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What's so important that you leave your family in the middle of the night without saying  
good bye?"  
  
"His mother is ill. She's in hospital and may not survive." This struck a chord with Reyes'  
mother, she wasn't expecting such a reply. The truth was she was proud of her daughter and how she showed so much compassion for others. But her daughter being an FBI agent scared her, she knew the dangers, and she wanted to keep her in Mexico as long as possible.  
  
"Your father will not be happy."  
  
"I know. But you can explain it to him for me."  
  
"I can?"  
  
"Mama, don't do this. I have to leave. I checked with the airport and there's a flight in 40  
minutes, if I hurry I'll make it in time."  
  
"You should wait until the morning and tell your father."  
  
"Why? Because you think he'd talk me out of it?"  
  
"No. Because you wouldn't walk away from him as you would me."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You do not respect me like him. You will not speak Spanish with me, you will not speak English with him."  
  
"Mama please, I love you both so much, don't pitch me one against the other. You're trying to make me feel bad, and I know you know me well enough to know that it won't work. You know me better than anyone, do you honestly believe that anything you say will change my mind about going to support someone who needs me?" Her mother looked at her and then down at the ground. How could she look her in the eye when she knew that she was wrong to ask her to stay.  
  
"Call me when you land." Reyes smiled and walked over to her mother, she kissed her and her mother hugged her tightly before letting her go. "Don't leave it so long before you come back."  
  
"I won't mama. Mi promesa." Seeing her mother smile, Reyes felt satisfied and walked out of the house to the car waiting for her outside. She was at the airport in time for her flight and was back in Washington before she knew it.   
  
Doggett was sitting in the hospital waiting room when his father came over to him from  
speaking with his mother's doctors. The look on his face told Doggett all he needed to know. But he couldn't accept it. How could this be? He stood up to his father and begged him with just a single look to tell him that everything would be ok.  
  
"I'm sorry son. It doesn't look good. They're not sure that she'll even wake up again. They're trying to find out if there is any permanent damage been done to her brain. Keep your chin up kid, I gotta call your sister, you any idea what time it is in London?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh well, she's gotta know. She'd wanna be here. You should call Barbara too."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Your mom would want her to know."  
  
"This has nothing to do with Barbara."  
  
"Don't get pissed at me, you know your ma never excepted the two of you getting divorced. She's always dreamt of the two of you getting back together, or at least for you to find someone else. Just call her." Doggett's father left and went to ask where the pay phones were. Doggett sat back down and rubbed his temples with his hand. He hadn't slept for over 24 hours and it was beginning to take its toll on him. He couldn't cope with this, he couldn't lose his mother. He turned around to see where his father had gone and couldn't believe who he saw standing where he'd last seen him.  
  
"Monica."  
  
"Hey." He stood up and she walked over to him. There were no words needed, she hugged him and he welcomed the comfort and warmth of her in his embrace. He took in her energy, her life; she gave him the boost he needed to keep going. They slowly came apart, but Reyes held his hand as they sat down on the benches in the waiting room.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Agent Scully called me."  
  
"I asked her not to involve you in this."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I knew you didn't wanna be here. This isn't fair. Go home Monica."  
  
"John, I can't believe you didn't call me. I'm not going anywhere." Doggett looked at Reyes and smiled weakly. He was so glad that she was there but couldn't find the words to tell her, so he gently squeezed her hand to show his appreciation. Reyes smiled back and looked him straight in the eye.  
  
"How is she?" Doggett took a deep breath.  
  
"Not good. They say they don't know that she'll wake up from this. That we might not get her back."  
  
"Oh John, I'm so sorry."   
  
"Yeah. Me too."  
  
"Is your dad here?"  
  
"Yeah. He's gone to call Kate."  
  
"Your sister?"  
  
"Yeah, God only knows how she'll get here. And we have no idea where Bobby is."  
  
"What about Barbara?"  
  
"Barbara? Not you as well."  
  
"What?"  
  
"My dad asked me to call her."  
  
"Have you?"  
  
"No. And I don't intend to."  
  
"But, your mom, she and Barbara were close weren't they?"  
  
"Yeah they were. And then we got divorced and my mom never got over it. I'm not calling her and raking all that up again. I can't."  
  
"Sure. I understand. It must bring up a lot of old feelings for you, for Barbara." Doggett  
looked at Reyes and was shocked to see how the mention of his ex-wife had effected her. She looked hurt, bruised by the mention of her name. Surely she wasn't jealous?  
  
"It's nothing like that Monica, I mean I don't have feelings for Barbara, not those kind of  
feelings, not anymore, I mean I, well you know how I feel about... Dad."  
  
"What?" Reyes turned around to see Doggett's father standing over them like a hawk watching its territory.  
  
"Dad, you remember Monica?"  
  
"Sure. You helped with Luke, well when Luke, when he... Nice to see you again."  
  
"Mr Doggett you too."  
  
"Oh please, call me Frank. You work together at the FBI now right?"  
  
"Yeah, little over a year now."  
  
"Dad, you get hold of Kate?"  
  
"No. I had to leave a message with her secretary would you believe. She'll call when she gets the message." An awkward silence filled the room. Reyes looked at Doggett, looked from her to his father, and his father looked at him. No one knew what to say to anyone for fear of saying something wrong or something that may cause offence.  
  
"Well, I should leave you guys alone, I need to check into a motel somewhere."  
  
"You don't need to do that." Doggett wanted to take the words back even before he'd said them. His father looked at him, and finished what he was saying taking the angle of comment to a different level.  
  
"Well, I guess she can stay in the spare room at home then."  
  
"That's not what I meant, I mean, you're welcome to stay, but I mean, I didn't think you'd be staying, don't you have to get back to your folks?" Reyes didn't know how to read the  
situation. Did Doggett want her to leave New York right away, or did he just feel embarrassed about her being in his home? Did he just want her out of the way or did he feel guilty for her not being in Mexico? She didn't know what to think, but she wasn't going to bail out that soon.  
  
"It's fine really. I'll find a motel. I'll call you."  
  
"Sure. Ok." Reyes stood up and Doggett followed suit. She smiled politely and excused herself. As she walked out Doggett's father looked at him shaking his head. Doggett hung his head with shame and went after her.  
  
"Monica!"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I just wanted to say... Well I just... Thanks for coming down here. I appreciate it."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Reyes checked into a motel about five miles from Doggett's family home. She wanted to be close to him but she didn't want to freak him out by being too overpowering and in the way. She was glad she'd come to New York, and she hoped that Doggett meant it when he said he was glad to have her there. She wasn't sure what use she could be though, but she knew that she could help track down his brother and maybe get the family together for the New Year, to say good bye to their mother.   
  
She went to the local police department and took the first steps to helping out the Doggett family when they needed it the most.   
  
"Excuse me ma'am can I help you?"  
  
"Yes, I hope so, I'm looking for detective Roberts."  
  
"You're looking at him."  
  
"Oh, hi. I'm special Agent Monica Reyes."  
  
"You're with the bureau? Who called you out here?"  
  
"Actually I'm here with a friend. Agent John Doggett."  
  
"You know John?"  
  
"I'm his partner."  
  
"Oh I see, he didn't tell any of the boys he was dating again!"  
  
"Actually I'm his FBI partner."  
  
"Oh, sorry about that. Should have known you weren't with Johnny! Well, have a seat, I take it you're here about Bobby?"  
  
"Yeah. I wanna do what I can to help. Especially now that their mother has taken ill."  
  
"Oh gees, I didn't know about that. Well that sucks."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Well, I'll fill you in on what we got so far and we'll see if we can't fix this sorry mess for  
good."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Don't mention it, a friend of Johnny's is a friend of the New York police department." Reyes smiled and followed the detective into his office where he filled her in on the latest regarding Doggett's brother. It wasn't good. And when an officer came running into the office shouting about a murder, she knew that it was Bobby. She could feel it. He'd walked down a path that was impossible to turn back and run out of.  
  
Reyes had never seen so much blood. An old man lay on the ground, his grocery shopping lay all around him, his empty wallet lay beside him, no longer a brown leather, it was a dark dirty red. Dirty like everything about the crime scene. She knew that it was Bobby. There was a message for him from his brother that he needed to hear. On the wall he'd written with the oldman's blood: 'tell John I'm ready for him'. She looked over to detective Roberts and he nodded at her politely as she dialled Doggett's number. This was a call she never hoped to be making.

As Reyes looked around she felt as if she were being watched. And as she looked around she saw someone move from a window frame in a building across the road. It was him. She crossed the road as she waited for Doggett to answer his phone. She entered the building and tried to work out which floor she'd seen him on. She took out her weapon just to be on the safe side, she didn't know if he was alone or not.  
  
"John Doggett."  
  
"John, it's me. I think there's something you need to see."  
  
"What? What is it?"  
  
"There's been a murder."  
  
"Yeah? Oh God... Oh not Bobby. Not Bobby."  
  
"There was a message on the wall at the scene. It was for you."  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I can."  
  
"34th Street. I'm sorry John."  
  
"I know. I just wish this would all end. I'm so sick of it Monica."  
  
"I know. I just wish that I could..." As Reyes had been talking she'd carried on walking around the building, and as she was talking to Doggett somebody grabbed her from the shadows and she dropped both her phone and her weapon to the ground in shock.  
  
"Monica? Monica you there? Monica?! What happened?! Monica!"


	3. Part 3

Doggett paced the floor wearing holes into the ground and his shoes. Reyes had been missing for two hours, and there was no sign of her.  
  
"How can none of you seen where she went?! There were twelve cops out there for crying out loud!"  
  
"John, I'm sorry. But it's almost nine am on December 30th. People are getting ready for the New Year, they aren't thinking about work like they should. Anyway, you saw that old guys body, having to look at that at Christmas, it brings spirits down, now I'm not defending my boys not paying attention to your partner, but I didn't see her go anywhere either."  
  
"There are still thirty-nine hours until the New Year, now I want every guy you got out there looking for her! I got family too! You think I wanna be doing this?!"  
  
"I think you wanna find her."  
  
"Damn it! Of course I wanna find her! Gees, she's here for about three hours and I get her put in danger."  
  
"Well, she offered to come with us, I assumed you sent her to help with Bobby, what with your ma, well, you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Sorry to hear about that man."  
  
"Yeah. You gotta find her. She shouldn't have come here, not to get mixed up in this Bobby thing."  
  
"Didn't you keep asking her to come back cause you said she could help?"  
  
"You trying to make me feel bad on purpose?"  
  
"No, God no, sorry. It's just that, she knew that Bobby had killed that guy before we even got there, said she had some kinda feeling' that it was him. That he was in trouble."  
  
"That's Monica."  
  
"Go home John, get freshened up, see how your ma's doin. Leave this with us."  
  
"I can't do that. I'll find her myself."   
  
"John, Johnny wait!" But it was no use; Doggett was out of there and in his car to the crime scene before he even heard the detective calling his name. He'd find Monica, and he'd be there to take her home and wish her a happy New Year. Nothing was going to stop him, and she was the strongest person he knew, if anyone could handle something like this, she could.  
  
Reyes opened her eyes and looked around her. She wasn't anywhere different. She was still in the same room that she'd been knocked out in. She felt her head pounding and touched her scalp. She winced in pain as she felt blood and traced it down her face. She tried to stand up but she couldn't. She couldn't feel her legs. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her and it was then that she saw someone standing in front of her.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"You're awake? I'm so glad. I was beginning to get a little scared that we'd been too hard on you. Hit you too hard."  
  
"John?"  
  
"Ha ha ha ha ha. No. Close."  
  
"Bobby? Is that you?"  
  
"The one and only. People always did say that I sounded just like my big brother."  
  
"It's a shame a similar voice is the only thing you share."  
  
"Ouch, hitting me where it hurts. The big brother taking all the lime light."  
  
"John is a good man."  
  
"'John is a good man', gees if I hear one more lame assed Johnny whipped person tell me how great Johnny fabulous is then I will shoot myself."  
  
"Well now wouldn't that save us all a lot of trouble."  
  
"Ooo, you're a feisty one aren't you. I can see why he likes you."  
  
"That's none of your God damn business!"  
  
"Oh, does somebody have a little crush on John Doggett? Is he not returning the gesture? Always was a lame ass with the ladies. What you need is a real man to show you a good time." He walked over to Reyes and got down close to her face. She could feel his hot smelly breath on her face, making her feel sick. She turned her head away but he grabbed her and held her so that he was looking directly into her eyes.  
  
"Don't get bitchy with me Monica. I'm not a push over like my big brother. You piss me off, you'll know about it."  
  
"What do you want with me?"  
  
"I'm gonna give my amazing big brother a present for New Years as I missed Christmas."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You'll see. Lie back and enjoy yourself. You're not going anywhere, the drugs have seen to that." Bobby walked away and slammed a door closed behind him. Reyes breathed heavily and took a deep breath. She couldn't lose it now. She had to stay calm and focused if she was ever going to get out of this and have anybody see her alive again.   
  
Doggett was looking for anything, a clue, a sign, something to give him a hint as to where  
Reyes may have gone. He knew her better than anyone, if she'd have seen something and wanted to investigate it she would have, she wouldn't ask for help, she wouldn't normally need it. At the same time as this he was constantly calling the hospital to check on his mother, if anything happened whilst he wasn't at her bedside he'd never forgive himself. But there was no change in her condition. They were awaiting test results, and they were still being very frank in the fact that she may just never wake up. He'd been looking for Reyes for two hours now and there was nothing. He kept telling himself he'd find her before the day was over. He was certain of it. There was no way he'd see in the New Year without being able to toast it with Reyes standing beside him.  
  
When Reyes opened her eyes she manoeuvred herself so that she could see the time on her watch. It was almost noon. She could see the sun through the blinds on the windows; a tiny glow of light was shining through. Nobody had spoken to her since Bobby had been with her, and even he hadn't been back to check on her. In a way she wished she hadn't fallen asleep so she could have tried to escape. But the bump to her head had caused her to keep blacking out. She had no recollection of falling asleep, she didn't dream, she didn't slowly wake up as if from a sleep, she woke terrified and struggling for breath as if she were drowning in a river. She stood up slowly and the energy it took from her was as if she had run eight miles. She had no balance, no energy; she wasn't capable of doing anything.  
  
A door opened and she looked up slowly. Whoever it was had a torch, they were shining it in her eyes and it was painful to look at it. She covered her face with her hands and tried to look away. But whoever it was came up close to her and pulled her hands down. As Reyes looked up she thought that this time maybe she was asleep, and dreaming.  
  
"John..." The man standing in front of her smiled.  
  
"Would it make this easier if I told you I was John?" Reyes adjusted her vision, focused on the image before her.  
  
"Bobby."  
  
"The one and only. But I don't mind a little role-play before we do this. If you wanna call me John, I can be John for you, I'm sure I'd be more than an adequate substitute. I bet he hasn't even kissed you yet has he?"  
  
"Please... Just let me go Bobby, and I'll get them to go easy on you." Bobby laughed and  
grabbed Reyes' arm. He dragged her to the window and opened the blind.  
  
"Sun's up. New Years eve. Not long now."  
  
"What are you talking about..."  
  
"You'll see. First of all some friends of mine are here to meet you. They wanna see what all the fuss is about. What's so special about Monica Reyes born in Texas and raised in Mexico. Has anybody actually ever wanted you to be in their lives? Cause I gotta tell you, it aint a good sign when your parents don't want you and you're not with your adopted family over the holidays. Gees, you must be a curse to everyone. Johnny will be better off without you."  
  
Reyes slumped to the floor and started to cry. It wasn't like her to let her emotions take over like this, but she couldn't find the strength in her that would usually ignore what someone like Bobby was saying. She had no idea that Doggett told his family about her, about her being adopted.  
  
"Don't worry Monica, your Johnny fabulous didn't spill the beans on your life history, I may not look smart but I know how to access personal information on FBI agents over the Internet. Piece of cake. I'm just gonna go call my friends in. They have a game to play with you." Bobby left the room and Reyes knew that this was her last chance to escape and get free of him and his friends.

She stood up again and picked up what looked like a chair leg from the floor. She stood by the door and got her breath back whilst she waited to make a run for it. She could hear voices, but then she heard someone coming towards her. As the door opened she swung the chair leg round and hit someone hard over the head. Whoever it was fell to the ground and she went down to hit them again. But they grabbed her and she dropped her weapon to the ground.  
  
"Jesus Monica, it's me."  
  
"John?"  
  
"Come on, I gotta get you out of here."  
  
"No..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's not you, it's him, he keeps tricking me, making me think John's here... I'm not gonna  
fall for it this time..."  
  
"Damn it Monica, it's me John, we gotta leave, I can't deal with Bobby right now, the police are on their way."  
  
"John?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm John, with a mild concussion." Reyes looked deep into Doggett's eyes and started to cry.  
  
"John, it's really you."  
  
"Come on, we gotta leave now." Doggett stood up and helped Reyes to her feet. She leaned on him heavily as she was still incredibly unstable. As they got down one flight of stairs they relaxed feeling safe. They were wrong to. Bobby came running after them, screaming at his friends not to let them escape.  
  
"Let it go Bobby! You're not gonna win this. Jesus, how did this happen to you?"  
  
"Oh gee I don't know, maybe when mom and dad were so high on how great John and Kate were, they forgot about Bobby. They didn't give a crap about me or what I was doing."  
  
"So what, you're doing all this to make a point? To get noticed?"  
  
"You think it's working?"  
  
"You're sick Bobby. And you're going to prison for a long time."  
  
"Well I'd like to see that try and come to pass. I aint goin nowhere big brother. Now put the girl down, and we'll let you go. We got a surprise for you."  
  
"I'm leaving. We are leaving."  
  
"John..."  
  
"Monica? Monica!"  
  
"She out cold again?" Yeah, she's been doing that all night. Must be some kinda head injury. I guess."   
  
"What did you do to her?!"  
  
"Nothing! None of the fun stuff we had planned anyway, you're gettin in the way of that!"  
  
"I swear to God if you've done anything to her I will kill you myself."  
  
"Now is that anyway to talk to your baby brother?"  
  
"You're not my brother. Not anymore. We're way past family ties now. This is about the law, and it's my job to up hold the law. And to see that those who disobey it are punished."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Doggett gently lay Reyes on the ground, she was out cold. He took out his gun and stood up to look directly at his brother.  
  
"End of the road Bobby."  
  
"Wrong Johnny."  
  
Out of nowhere someone hit Doggett and he fell to the ground. Bobby ran past him and picked up Reyes as she slowly came round. Confused and in pain she gave up trying to recognise if she was in Doggett's or Bobby's arms. She just wanted to sleep. Doggett slowly got to his feet and turned to look at Bobby and Reyes. He had a knife at her throat.  
  
"Up to you big brother. Let us go or your girlfriend gets it. And you never get to tell her all the things that I am convinced you haven't told her already. Have you even kissed her yet?"  
  
"I'm warning you, let her go."  
  
"It's sad really. I mean, the last I heard Kate was doing well with her latest boyfriend in  
London, and I never had any trouble getting dates, and this bad boy image is a real babe  
magnet. But poor little Johnny..."  
  
"Don't do this Bobby."  
  
"Poor little Johnny, divorced, son murdered, and no dates in almost ten years. Monica's an attractive lady, I'm surprised she's hung around so long."  
  
"Just let her go you bastard!"  
  
"I think she needs a real man, someone from the Doggett family that knows what they're doing."  
  
"I wont tell you again, don't push me Bobby."  
  
"Why what are you gonna do? You gonna shoot me? Go ahead. It's not as if morale full John would ever be able to live with the guilt. Shoot me. I dare you!" Doggett looked at Reyes and then his brother. Without even thinking about it he pulled the trigger and shot Bobby. He fell to the floor taking Reyes down with him. Doggett rushed over and helped her free and looked at Bobby.  
  
"I'd rather live with the guilt of shooting you than live without her."  
  
He picked Reyes up and carried her outside to the arrival of police cars and ambulances. He sent them in to his brother telling them there was about ten of them altogether, and then he took Reyes to an ambulance where she was rushed into hospital.  
  
Doggett arrived at the hospital a few minutes later than the ambulance; he had tried to  
follow in his car but got broken off by traffic and pedestrians. He asked every nurse and  
doctor he could find where Reyes was but no one seemed to be able to help him. He finally found her himself asleep in a room. He walked in and was stopped by her doctor before he was even close to her.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I'm her partner, friend, um, is she ok?"  
  
"She's going to be fine Mr?"  
  
"Doggett, John Doggett."  
  
"She's got a bad bump to the head and is very tired and dehydrated, but she will be fine."  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
"Well she should get some rest right now. Why don't you come back later, you can see her then, you look like you need a rest too."  
  
"Thanks. I'm fine." The doctor left and Doggett looked at Reyes; satisfied she was safe he went to find his father to let him know what had happened. It was a story he wasn't looking forward to telling. Doggett found his father sitting with his mother in her room. He slowly opened the door and put his hand on his father's shoulder.  
  
"John, you're back. Where've you been?"  
  
"Dad, can I talk to you for a sec?"  
  
"Sure." They walked out of the room and sat down on the seats provided by the hospital. Doggett took a deep breath and looked at his father as he began to speak.  
  
"It's Bobby. We found him. We got him."  
  
"You did? Well, that's great news! Did you fin Monica too?"  
  
"Yeah. He'd taken her hostage. Drugged her, gave her a bad blow to the head, God only knows what he and his friends were about to do when I arrived."  
  
"Well, you did good son. You never need to know."  
  
"There's something else. He... He had a knife to her throat."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Bobby, and Monica. He was gonna kill her dad, I didn't have a choice."  
  
"What are you talkin' about?"  
  
"I shot him. The doctors are workin' on him now."  
  
"What? My God John. We wanted you to catch him, but shooting him?"  
  
"He was gonna kill her dad! I wasn't gonna let that happen! There was no way that bastard was taking her away from me!"  
  
"You love her?"  
  
"Dad..."  
  
"I wanna know, do you love this woman you shot your brother for?"  
  
"Yeah! I love her a damn site more than I do that man you keep referring to as my brother!" Doggett stood up and went into his mother's room. He closed the door behind him and prepared to tell her what had happened. He knew she'd want to know, he just didn't know if she could hear him or not.  
  
He cried as he sat with her. All she had ever wanted for her life was to see her children  
happy. And they were at some point. But happiness was as unpredictable and unreliable as the weather. Nobody knew when it was going to come, or how long it would stay, or how long you might have to go without it. But they had been happy. They had been happier than their mother could ever have imagined. But things go wrong. People move away, people die, and people go down different paths and separate, they want different kinds of happiness. And now he had Reyes. Seeing his brother with that knife at her throat, there was no question as to who he'd rather lose. But Bobby was right about one thing; the guilt of this would shadow him forever. Especially when his family all knew, they'd never let him forget it.

He sat holding his mother's hand and explained everything to her. When he finished talking he couldn't stop crying. He'd lost his brother forever now, his mother was dying, and his father and sister may never forgive him for what he did. He rested his head on his mother's bed and took some deep breaths to calm himself down. As he did he felt something on the back of his head. He looked up and his mother looked down at him smiling. She was stroking his hair.  
  
"Ma?"  
  
"Ssh, it's ok. It's all goin to be ok."  
  
"I'll get a doctor and dad."  
  
"No, wait... I heard you, I heard everything."  
  
"Oh ma, I'm so sorry. I let you down, I let you down so badly."  
  
"No. No you've made me feel prouder than you could have ever imagined."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You're in love again. That's all I ever wanted for my boy. You did what you had to do."  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"I'm not mad. Your father will have a piece of my mind about making you feel bad about what you did, but I'm not mad. I'm so happy for you." Doggett stood up and kissed his mother's forehead. She smiled and turned her head slightly. She fell asleep and the smile never left her face. He walked out of the room and quietly closed the door. He smiled to himself and went to tell the doctor.


	4. Part 4

Doggett walked the entire area of the hospital before finding his father. He was sitting   
in a waiting room alone. He looked tired. Doggett sat down beside him.  
  
"Ma's awake."  
  
"What? You're serious?"  
  
"Yeah, the doctors are with her now."  
  
"Well that's one piece of good news I guess."  
  
"How's Bobby?"  
  
"You really care?"  
  
"Yes I care. Jesus dad. You think it was easy for me to do what I did? He was gonna kill her."  
  
"And you took the risk of killing him."  
  
"It was a risk I was prepared to take."  
  
"Well I hope you can live with the choice you made. I'm not sure I could."  
  
"Well you don't have to, so that wont be a problem will it. Ma's asking for you, when you get a minute from acting like the best guy in the world just got shot you should go see her."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"I wasn't gonna let her die. You just have to live with that." Doggett got up and walked away from his father. He was angry and upset that his father had reacted this way. He did what he had to do.   
  
He went back to Reyes' room and she was still sleeping. He went and sat beside her bed and gently took her hand into his own. He kissed her softly and she slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"John..."  
  
"Hey. How you feeling?"  
  
"Good." She tried to sit up but couldn't manage it.  
  
"Maybe not so good. Lie down. Got some great news. My ma's awake. She's gonna be ok."  
  
"John that's great news. I'm happy for you."  
  
"Yeah, we all thought we'd never hear her yell at us again."  
  
"I bet your dad's over the moon."  
  
"Yeah." Doggett's quiet response was no mask for what he was hiding. Reyes knew there was something wrong.  
  
"What is it? What happened?"  
  
"My dad's not happy with what I did."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You don't remember?"  
  
"Remember what?"  
  
"I shot Bobby. He was gonna kill you." Reyes looked away from Doggett and tears formed in the back of her eyes.  
  
"My God. I thought I'd dreamt it."  
  
"Well you didn't. It was real."  
  
"But John..."  
  
"Get some rest. I'll leave you in piece."  
  
"John wait..."  
  
"Look, I've explained myself to my parents, my dad's the only one with a problem. Don't worry about it."  
  
"But he's your brother."  
  
"Yeah, and I wasn't going to let him come between... Between you and me. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose you."  
  
"John..."  
  
"There's my big brother!" Doggett and Reyes turned simultaneously to the loud voice coming from the doorway.  
  
"Kate?"  
  
"Does your baby sister get a hug?"  
  
"My God!" Doggett stood up and walked over to his sister, he hugged her and then introduced her to Reyes, Reyes was embarrassed. She looked tired and a mess, if she was going be meeting new family members she wanted to look a little more respectable.  
  
"Hi, nice to meet you."  
  
"You too. John and I should let you rest. I'm sure he's not left your bedside since you got  
here. I've just spoken to mom."  
  
"She tell you about Bobby?"  
  
"Yeah. You did the right thing John."  
  
"When did you get here?"  
  
"About an hour ago. Jet lag is a bitch, it may be two thirty in the afternoon for you guys,  
but for me it's seven thirty, and I'm so tired!" Reyes smiled. Kate reminded her of John when he was in a playful and happy mood. She looked like the kind of person that never stopped being happy. Doggett looked back at Reyes and smiled.  
  
"You get some rest, I'll call back later."  
  
"Ok." They headed out and Kate turned back.  
  
"Really, lovely to meet you."  
  
"Thanks, you too." They walked out and Reyes looked out of the window. It was snowing. She closed her eyes for just a second, and fell fast asleep. Doggett and Kate sat outside their mother's room and were really pleased to see each other.  
  
"It's been so long."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry I couldn't get back for... Well, for you, and Luke."  
  
"I know. But you'd only been in London for like two months, you couldn't have left your job and flown back that soon."  
  
"I felt terrible. And then you and Barbara divorced, I just wanted to be here for you."  
  
"I did ok."  
  
"Well, I'm sure that if Monica was here to help you then you did do ok."  
  
"Kate..."  
  
"I know I know, little sis keep your nose out. She's very pretty."  
  
"Kate..."  
  
"Alright alright. But you should know that ma's practically planning a wedding for the two of you in there."  
  
"Oh gees, you're kidding me?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Great. You seen dad yet?"  
  
"No. But mom told me he's pissed at you."  
  
"Yeah. Just a little."  
  
"Don't worry about it. He'll realise that you did what you had to do."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe he's right."  
  
"No John."  
  
"Well what kinda guy shoots his brother?"  
  
"It's not as if you were close! I mean before I left for London we didn't see him from one week to the next, and he was always in trouble with the police. You busted him once before. He didn't have a hope and you didn't have a choice. Look at it this way, if Monica had been killed and Bobby walked out of there in one piece, would you feel better now or worse."  
  
"I couldn't have lived with myself. I could never have let that happen."  
  
"Well than that's all you have to think about. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks,  
besides you know mom and dad, when she gets a hold of him he'll be following her line of thought in no time."  
  
Doggett smiled and turned to Kate who was grinning at him from ear to ear. He hugged her and was so glad that she'd come back. He almost asked her to stay for good but stopped himself and just held her. She was a grown woman now, he couldn't tell her what to do. As they pulled apart their father was standing over them he looked thrilled to see Kate and she leapt into his arms.  
  
"Hey daddy! It's so good to see you!"  
  
"Well it wouldn't hurt you to visit more often."  
  
"Daddy. How's Bobby?" He looked at Doggett and then back to Kate.  
  
"They say he's gonna be fine. The bullet went clean through. There's police all over the place, he's not going anywhere."  
  
"At least he's ok. John obviously knew what he was doing, I mean that the bullet wouldn't have caused any serious or permanent damage."  
  
"Yeah. I guess so. Well, I better check in with your ma. Kate sweetie, John'll take you home to drop off your bags and get something to eat, then you can come back here and sit with your ma, she'd like that."  
  
"Sure daddy. I'll just go in and say bye." Kate went inside and Doggett looked at his father. He wouldn't look back at him and Doggett felt hurt that he was taking this so badly. He'd hated the life Bobby was leading for more years than he could remember, and now they had him, they could make him pay for his crimes and hope that he'd want to change. But Bobby had killed a man, had taken an FBI agent hostage and assaulted her. He was going to prison for a very long time.  
  
"Ok John, I'm ready lets go."  
  
"Sure." They walked off and their father went into his wife. She smiled at him and held out her hand to him. He went over to her and sat beside her. He kissed her and she smiled again. But then the smile went and she started to frown.  
  
"Now you listen to me Frank Doggett, John did what he had to do to save that woman. He loves her, and your bone headed grumpiness about one of your boys being shot will not make anymore trouble for this family do you hear me? Let it go. Leave Bobby to the people that know best how to deal with him. We never could. John's a good boy, the best son we coulda hoped for. Don't hold this against him; don't let this lose you two sons in one day. We clear on that?" Frank smiled and then laughed at his wife.  
  
"Boy. You think we could get you to sleep for a few days again? Cause I was getting used to the quiet and absence of nagging."  
  
"You can joke Frank! But I aint goin no where, and you will tell your son that you are proud of him, and that you want him to be happy. It took real guts and balls to do what he did today. It's in his genes." Frank looked at his wife and couldn't believe she could possibly be paying him a compliment.  
  
"On my side of the family of course." There it was, that was the wife he knew and loved.  
  
The next day Reyes was discharged from the hospital on the condition that she was looked after by some one for a few days. She'd called Scully and arranged to stay with her over the New Year whilst she got back on her feet. She hadn't called Doggett or seen him since his sister arrived, and she was glad that things were working out for him and his family. As she packed her things at her motel, there was a knock at the door and she opened it to a frowning Doggett.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Hi? All you say is hi? Do you know how much I panicked when I went to your room this morning and you weren't there?"  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah oh. Gees Monica, don't do that to me." She smiled and laughed quietly.  
  
"I'm sorry. I had no idea you'd be visiting. I was going to call you from the airport."  
  
"Airport?"  
  
"Yeah. I got a flight back to DC just before midnight."  
  
"But it's New Years Eve, you shouldn't be alone on New Years Eve, and you need to rest, not be flying across the country."  
  
"Ok John, calm down. I wont be alone. I'm staying with Scully for a few days. The doctor only let me leave on the condition that I had someone take care of me whilst I got my strength back."  
  
"Oh I see." It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he wanted to take care of her,  
that he wanted her to spend New Years with him, and his family. But he couldn't. She'd clearly made her choice and would rather go home. But Reyes was waiting for just one word from him; just to hear him say he wanted her to stay would have been enough for her to cancel her flight and stay. But as they stood looking at each other with an awkward silence between them nobody spoke.  
  
"Well, I um. I'd love to say good bye to your family, if that's ok?"  
  
"Sure. Yeah. I'll take you to the airport, and we'll stop by on the way."  
  
"Thanks." Doggett picked up her bags and walked out. Reyes watched him go and sighed as she realised that he may never feel about her the way she felt about him.  
  
At the hospital the time flew by. Reyes had a great time chatting with Doggett's mother  
and sister. His father wasn't there, he was finding out what would happen to Bobby. Doggett felt awkward without his father there, it wasn't right, but he understood how he felt, and just sat and tried to not feel uncomfortable with all the stories that his mother and sister were relaying about his childhood.  
  
"Wow John I'm learning about a whole other side to you."  
  
"Yeah, well it's not exactly something I'd like broadcasting." They all laughed and then Reyes looked at her watch.  
  
"Oh wow, I better get going. We need to leave enough time for you to get back here to see in the New Year with your family."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"It's really good of the hospital to let you all stay here until midnight."  
  
"Yeah well, when you get to know my mother better you'll know that the hospital had no choice."  
  
"Well! I told them, I said they either let me go home or they let you all stay."  
  
"Ma you're weak."  
  
"I could still take your father."  
  
"Well, that's not the point." More laughter filled the room and Reyes stood up.  
  
"Well, it was great to meet you both, Kate, Mrs Doggett."  
  
"Don't Mrs Doggett me you make me feel old, Rosey will do fine."  
  
"Well thank you for the wonderful stories Rosey. It was a pleasure."  
  
"You too, get John to bring you with him the next time he visits."   
  
"Sure, I'd like that."  
  
"Bye bye dear."  
  
"Bye."  
  
The drive to the airport was a silent one. Neither of them spoke a word. It was only half   
past ten when they arrived, and Doggett felt bad to just leave her there whilst he went back to the hospital.  
  
"You sure you don't want me to wait until you get on the plane?"  
  
"No, go. Really I'll be fine, I got a good book to read, the time will fly by. Go back to your family John."  
  
"Well if you're sure."  
  
"I'm positive." Doggett smiled and Reyes smiled back at him.  
  
"I'll come see you as soon as I'm back in DC, probably be a few days."  
  
"Sure, whenever you're ready."  
  
"Well, I should get back."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Bye." Doggett leaned in to kiss Reyes and she more than welcomed it, but at the last minute he turned and kissed her cheek. She smiled at him weakly and turned into the airport. Another New Year they were both to welcome in alone. When Doggett got back to the hospital he went into his mother's room and both she and his sister looked passed him when he entered.  
  
"You two expecting someone?"  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Monica! You two spoke to each other right?"  
  
"Yeah, we said bye, and see ya in DC."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"Yeah. What else were you expecting?" His mother rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
"Oh John, how you ever got married is beyond me. You've got about as much insight into matters of the heart as your father!" Kate stood up and took her brother's hands into her own.  
  
"John, she adores you, and my God after what you did yesterday we know that you love her."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You think that she just sat in here to be polite and pass the time? She wanted to be here, she wanted to be with you."  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Oh John! I swear if another stroke isn't the death of me you will be!"  
  
"But she's just a friend."  
  
"She's in love with you."  
  
"Then why did she leave for DC?"  
  
"Because you didn't ask her to stay!" Doggett looked from his sister to his mother and back again. How could they be right about this? How could he not have seen it himself.  
  
"What do I do now?!"  
  
"Go! Go after her! If you hurry you'll make it before the plane takes off!"  
  
"Right." He turned to leave and then came rushing back.  
  
"What do I say if I catch her?"  
  
"Try I love you, will you please stay with me."  
  
"Right." He ran out and his mother and Kate were giddy with excitement.   
  
"Good luck!" As he ran out he bumped into someone and stopped to apologise. It was his father.  
  
"Dad."  
  
"You goin somewhere?"  
  
"Yeah, I um, I gotta tell Monica something."  
  
"I see. Well, I wont keep you."  
  
"Right. Thanks." Doggett turned away and his father took his arm.  
  
"I'm proud of you son. You did the right thing. And she's a good woman, very pretty. Go get her." Doggett smiled and hugged his father before running to his car and taking off faster than he ever thought a car could.  
  
Reyes looked at the departure boards, as there was an announcement that her flight was  
ready to board. She picked up her things and headed towards the gate with her passport and ticket at hand. She was desperate to get home; she just wanted to sleep in her own home in her own bed. As she handed her ticket to the woman at the desk she heard someone calling her name. She turned around and thought she was imagining things as Doggett came running through the departure lounge calling out her name.  
  
"John?"  
  
"Monica, you got a sec?"  
  
"Not really, I gotta go, what is it?" Doggett was desperately trying to get his breath back and not let Reyes get on her flight.  
  
"I have to tell you something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Stay. Stay here. I'll take care of you until you feel better."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Please Monica, if you don't my ma and Kate will never forgive me."  
  
"So they sent you after me?"  
  
"Pretty much. But only because they made me realise something that I'd been too stupid to realise myself."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Monica. I um. I love you. I'm in love with you, and I don't want you to go back to DC without me. I've been in love with you for so long, and I've just been so wrapped up in other things, like not thinking about how much I love you, to actually admit it to myself. I couldn't live without you, I need you, you mean so much to me. Please stay. There's no one else I'd rather spend New Years with. Please say something so that I know I did this right and haven't done it wrong."  
  
Reyes smiled and smiles turned to grins as she felt as if it were Christmas all over again. She dropped her bags and flew into Doggett's arms. They stood hugging and as they pulled back they could hear people around them counting down to the New Year. Doggett leaned in to Reyes to kiss her and this time he didn't chicken out. As the clock struck twelve, they struck each other's hearts and kissed. When they parted they held each other close and couldn't stop smiling.  
  
"Happy New Year Monica."  
  
"Happy New Year John."

THE END 


End file.
